RNLAF Patch s Royal Netherlands Air Force 323 Squadron F 16 oaa

RNLAF Patch 322 Squadron Royal Netherlands Air Force Motto F 16 1981 Fighting Falcon Leeuwarden Air Base Embroidered on twill cut edge 98mm by 90mm three and seven eighth inches by three and one half inches. 

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Jachtvliegschool Fighter Pilot School was established at Twenthe Air Base on 27 June 1948 to provide jet pilot training with the arrival of Meteor jet fighters. The School was renamed 1 Jachtvliegsquadron Fighter Squadron on 15 November 1948 and moved to Leeuwarden AB on 28 January 1949. 1 Fighter Squadron was redesignated 323 Squadron Interceptor Day Fighter on 14 April 1949 to comply with west European unit naming conventions and formed Jachtgroep Noord Fighter Group North with 324 Squadron which was activated on 1 May 1949.

The Squadron was retasked as the Weapons Firing Training School and relocated to Twente AB on 1 May 1950 moved back to Leeuwarden AB on 21 April 1952 as most of the training was carried out over the North Sea. 323 Squadron was the last fighter Squadron to convert to Hunter fighters and carried out its first operational Hunter flight on 18 October 1957. During 1960 1961 the Squadron undertook evaluation of the AIM 9B Sidewinder air to air missile and in September 1961 the Squadron closed the Weapons Firing Training School. The Squadron was deactivated on 25 March 1963 for transition to F 104 Starfighters but target towing flights continued until 1 September 1963.

The Squadron reactivated at Leeuwarden AB on 17 March 1964 as 323 Squadron All Weather Interceptor AWX and established Quick Reaction Alert QRA as NATO requirements on 1 October 1965 becoming fully operational on 1 November 1965. Once all the RNLAF F 104 Squadrons were operational the F 104 Conversion Flight at Twenthe AB was split with CAV moving to Volkel AB and Transitie Conversie Afdeling TCA Transition Conversion Section moved to Leeuwarden AB and was integrated into 323 Squadron to provide conversion for new pilots. In early 1978 the TCA was deactivated and 322 and 323 Squadrons were put under one single commander on 17 May 1979. The Squadron deactivated on 1 August 1980.

323 Squadron was reactivated on 1 September 1981 equipped with F 16 Fighting Falcons becoming operational on 1 April 1982 tasked with Fighter Bomber Attack FBA adding interceptor CWI later on. F 16 Transitie Conversie Afdeling TCA Transition Conversion Section was integrated into the Squadron on 6 March 1986 to provide conversion for new pilots relinquishing its FBA role. The Squadron regained its FBA role in 1990 when responsibility for TCA was reassigned. The Squadron was redesignated 323 TACTESS Tactical Training Evaluation and Standardization Squadron Tactische Training Evaluatie en Standaardisatie Squadron on 3 July 1992 and was formed into four flights Standardization Evaluation STAN EVAL Flight Instruction Flight Tactical Training Flight and Support Flight. The Squadron provides training for instructors and weapons instructors and ICT Integrated Combat Training with DWIC and DIAWACS exercises.

The Squadron became operational for FBA and CWI tasking on 1 January 1993 and has taken part in a number of NATO and UN missions deploying rotationally to Villafranca AB Italy for Op Deny Flight missions over the former Yugoslavia 1993 1995 Decisive Endeavour 1995 1996 Deliberate Guard 1996 1998 Determined Falcon 1998 Deliberate Forge 1998 2001 and Allied Force 1999 operations over Afghanistan Enduring Freedom Kyrgyzstan 2003 Air Policing Baltic States Siauliai AB Lithuania 2005 and International Security and Assistance Force Air Task Force ATF Kabul AB Afghanistan 2005 Kandahar AB 2007 2008 2009 2011 Mazar e Sharif AB 2012 2013 and Odyssey Dawn Unified Protector Libya 2011.

The Squadron disbanded in October 2014 and was reactivated at Eglin AFB Florida on 4 November 2014 as 323 Tactical Training Evaluation and Standardisation Squadron TACTESS to train and evaluate the F 35A Lightning II aircraft and in 2015 moved to Edwards AFB California for the Operational Test and Evaluation OT&E phase.

This patch dates from 1981.